Display and retail device for fancy papers



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1, D. J. OSULLIVAN.

DISPLAY AND RETAIL DEVICE FOR FANCY PAPERS. NO. 354,208. Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

ATTEST.

A97 6%; /("M24.52@54W (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2, D. J. OSULLIVAN.

DISPLAY AND RETAIL DEVICE FOR FANCY PAPERS.

No. 354,208. Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

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g g 7 Eat/W 4 42M? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS J. OSULLIVAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DlSPLAY AND RETAIL DEVICE FOR FANCY PAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,208, dated December 14:, 1886.

Application filed March 30, 1886.

To aZZ 20710710 it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DENNIS J. OSULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display and Retail Devices for Fancy Papers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention in display and retail racks is especially designed for tissue-papers, such as is used for the making of artificial flowers and fancy-work.

Heretofore paper of this class has been kept by the merchant in drawers, the colors being mixed and piled upon each other, and the con stant handling over of the thin sheets destroys many of them, and the time consumed in finding a desired color and shade makes the selling of the article expensive and very inconvenient, and it is diflicult to distinguish readily a de sired shade when the colors are promiscuously mingled, as is common. By my present arrangement I overcome these objections, the colors being suspended in full view of the purchaser, and in such a manner that a desired color or shade may be readily found and can be removed from the rack without disturbing any other sheet or color, as will be fully hereinafter set forth; and my invention consists in the arrangement of parts, as hereinafter specified, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective of the display-rack, showing the papers suspended therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, partly in section and partly broken away. 'Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of a metal supportingrail. Fig. 4 is a modification showing a circular rack adapted to be suspended. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of Fig. 4 on dotted line 1 1 of said figure. Fig. 6 is a modification of the rail of Fig. 3.

, In Fig. 1, B represents the side rails of the frame; D, the end rails, which are joined at the corner. The side rails I hinge at the cen- Scrial No. 197,215. v (No model.)

ter, as shown at it, so as to fold one part over the other, as in shipping, thus taking up but little space. l

n is a central cross-rail joining one set of the side rails. (See Figs. land 2.) This prevents the spreading of the side rails at the center. In the inner upper edge of the side rails I form a rabbet, F, (see Fig. 2,) and along the inner upper face of said rails I secure a metal plate, 0, by means of screws e. I form in the upper edge of the plate vertical slots 0. The length of said slots is equal to the depth of the rabbet F, and suiiiciently long to receive in an upright position the metal rails S, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said rails extend transversely over the frame, and are made long enough to cross the frame and have their ends meet the vertical walls of the rabbets Fin the side rails. By this arrangement the rails are prevented from working endwise, while the vertical slots 0 of the plates 0 hold said rails in an upright position, and to prevent them from lifting up I attach to the upper edge of the side rails the cap-rails e, which extend over the side rails and over the metal plates 0, as clearly'shown in Fig. 2. I locate the slots e in the plates 0 about one-half inch apart. By this arrangement I am enabled to locate the supporting-rails S at any desired dis tance apart. If I desire to display another color of paper, I remove the rail z on one side of the frame and lift up the rails S at that side, then draw forward, when the opposite end will be removed froni'the' slot 6 of the other side. I theninsert itin the slots nearer the next rail S of the series, when another bar can be inserted in its place. The paper is put up in packages of a desired color, and is once folded over upon itself. I take a package of the paper folded and divide the sheetsi at the center, then suspend them on a bar S of the rack, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

I design placing the rails S at such a distance apart as will allow the light to strike the faces of the outer sheets of the series of folded sheets. This enables the purchaser to distinguish the desired color. \Vhcn acolor has been selected, the merchant, by slightly dampening a thumb and finger and passing them centrally astride the folded sheets, then pressing upon the faces of the outershcet and lifting it up, raises it from and convenient package.

over the folded sheet below it, as clearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the other sheets remaining undisturbed. It will be observed that by this arrangement a variety of colors may be readily obtained from the rack. The legs Z are formed of wire, and are coiled at the center, one part over the other, as shown at a of Fig. 1. The upper ends are bent outward, forming attaching-arms a a, which enter holes formed in the under edges of the frame. The legs support the frame at an elevation, and should be long enough to prevent the lower ends of the sheets t of the paper from touching the counter or platform upon which the legs rest. It will be observed that this frame is open at the top, ends, and sides, thus enabling a full and clear display of all the colors, which may 'be easily reached. In shipping this rack the legs are removed and the frame is folded at the center, when it becomes a small I arrange the colors in the rack in nests as follows: by placing upon a rail S some deep color, then placing upon the next succeeding bar a lighter shade, and so 011,. according to the various shades. For instance, the space indicated by A in Fig. 1 represents the nest of red shades, the space of A the nest of blue shades, the space of A the nest of green shades, the space of A the nest of pink shades, and so on, according to the various colors.

In Fig. at of drawings I show a circular rack for windows-one that may be suspended; or

it may be provided with legs similar to the legs of Fig. 1. The parts B, Z, and O are the same as shown in Fig. 1, and support the inner ends of the rails S the same, and are de tached in the same manner. I attach to the backface of the rail 13 an extension-arm, 9.

I employ a circular metal plate, 0 the .ends of which I attach to the ends of the arm g. 12 represents a series of holes through said plate. I provide the outer end of each supportingrail S with a hook, a Said hook passes through a hole, 1), of the circular plate. The hook prevents the bar from drawing out of the circular supporting-plate. 1" is a rod extending from the center of the plate 0 to the suspensioniarm H, where it is firmly fixed to said arm, whereby the circular plate is prevented from sagging at the center by the weight of the papers suspended upon the diverging rails S. Said rails are formed from flat strips of metal to give strength, and lie within the fold of the sheets t.

-Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for the purposes specified, the combination of the frame, the detachable legs, the adjustable supporting-rails, and the mechanism for supporting the adjustable rails, the sheets of paper suspended upon said rails, as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a device for the purposes specified, the combination of the two-part frame, hinged at the center and provided with detachable legs, the central cross-rail, n, and the adjustable cross-rails S, supported as set forth, and having the sheets of paper suspended thereon, as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DENNIS J. O SULLIVAN. 

